This invention relates to connectors for various electrical controls used in conjunction with vehicle transmissions, and with various control parts, such as solenoids for vehicle automatic transmissions. More particularly, this invention pertains to connectors having a generally standard or universal design so that they can be used to connect various control parts having any one of a number of connector designs or shapes.
Automatic vehicle transmissions are routinely used in automotive and other vehicles to convert the power from an engine output shaft to a drive shaft. In general, the automatic transmission shifts the gear ratios so that the ratio of drive shaft revolutions to the engine revolutions increases at higher vehicle speeds. The automatic transmission typically operates on fluid mechanics, and therefore contains numerous fluid passageways and valves for controlling the flow of transmission fluid. The transmission is enclosed in a transmission case or housing, and has an input end and an output end. The exterior surface of the transmission case generally follows the contour of the transmission components contained within the transmission case. Different transmissions therefore have different outside contours.
The valves are typically mounted in or on a valve body within the transmission case. In order to control the transmission, various control devices must have access to the interior of the transmission or to the valve body. One particular control device is a solenoid which operates valves within the transmission. Frequently there are four or five solenoids placed either inside or on the outside of the transmission case to operate valves inside the transmission, although the number of solenoids can vary from zero to about 10. The solenoids used in the control of automatic transmissions are usually attached to the valve body or transmission housing with a bracket having attachment openings or bolt holes to allow the bracket and solenoid to be bolted to the transmission case or directly to the valve body.
The solenoids and other parts associated with the control of automatic transmissions are usually linked to a computer or other electrical control device by means of wires. Efficiency advances in the manufacture of the electrical wire connectors used for control purposes include the use of plug-in connectors to electrically connect one set of control wires to another. Such electrical connectors are typically made of a plastic material, such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyamides.
During the original manufacture and assembly of the motor vehicle transmission, the electrical connectors attached to such parts as solenoids have specific shapes. The original vehicle manufacturer makes sufficient quantities of any given transmission that there is essentially no cost penalty to have a unique solenoid electrical connector for each different transmission design.
One of the problems, however, with using specific connector designs is that that replacement or repair becomes difficult. Sometime during the life of most vehicles the transmission is reconditioned or rebuilt, usually by transmission specialists. Transmission rebuilders are faced with trying to find parts that duplicate the original parts in a wide variety of transmission designs. In particular, electrical connectors must be designed to fit existing connectors extending from various control devices. Suppliers of parts for this type of aftermarket have difficulty in cost-effectively making a relatively small number of parts having a particular design. Therefore, it would be advantageous if the manufacture and installation of aftermarket parts for vehicles could be made more efficiently. In particular, it would be helpful if improved electrical connectors for transmission parts such as solenoids could be developed. Such a connector would ideally reduce the number of different electrical connectors necessary for the aftermarket replacement or repair of vehicle parts.
The above objects as well as other objects not specifically enumerated are achieved by an electrical connector for providing an electrical connection with a mating connector for control of a vehicle transmission. The mating connector has electrical terminals. The electrical connector includes a shank, a hollow receptacle, and terminals. The hollow receptacle is at the end of the shank for receiving the shaft of a mating electrical connector. The terminals are positioned within the hollow receptacle for providing electrical contact with the terminals of a mating electrical connector. The receptacle has a first side with a first slot extending substantially across the width of the first side so that the receptacle can interlock with any one of a number of mating male connectors. The receptacle has a second side having a second slot extending substantially across the width of the second side so that the receptacle can interlock with any one of a number of mating connectors.
In another embodiment of the invention, the hollow receptacle of the electrical connector has a bottom side with locating ridges on the inside of the hollow receptacle so that the connector and the mating connector can be joined together in only one orientation.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the electrical connector is combined with a solenoid for control of a vehicle transmission. The electrical connector provides an electrical connection between a mating connector of a controller and a vehicle transmission.